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Straits Times | Mum’s The Word

Mum's The Word

SINGAPORE – With its blush-toned walls, curved decorative accents and mood lighting, Madam Partum by Chien Chi Tow in Tanjong Katong resembles a trendy cafe.

It is one of several wellness centres that have sprung up over the last six years catering to the motherhood segment.

Unlike slimming salons that target a wide range of women hoping to lose weight, these centres offer treatments for mums suffering from breastfeeding challenges, fatigue, hair loss, pelvic-floor problems and other issues related to pregnancy and childbirth. In fact, you may see a stroller or two while you are there.

At least two centres – Madam Partum and Schone Mama – were born out of the maternity struggles their founders faced.

Ms Yen Lim, the 43-year-old founder of Madam Partum, experienced post-delivery fatigue and breastfeeding problems when she had her first child in 2011.

She turned to her father, Mr Lim Choon Huat, founder of the Chien Chi Tow chain of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) healthcare centres, who brought her Chinese herbs and taught her how to use them to nourish her body.

“I recovered very fast and regained my energy. After a month, I was back at work,” says Ms Lim, who has worked in the family business for the last two decades and is now an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Armed with a vision to tap TCM to help mothers, she launched Madam Partum by Chien Chi Tow in 2017. Thanks to an astute early collaboration with celebrity mum Joanne Peh, the online brand took off quickly and its home services for new mothers proved a hit.

Madam Partum at Katong

Its treatments are also available at Chien Chi Tow outlets, but Ms Lim found that mothers shied away from them, hence the need for a dedicated Madam Partum storefront in January 2020.

“Madam Partum is a haven, where mothers can come to relax, seek help and feel safe.” says Ms Lim, who has two children aged 10 and 11. The welcoming space offers a suite of services, from infertility consultations with a TCM physician to lactation massages to acupuncture. Dads are welcome, too, as there is a section for male customers of Chien Chi Tow. A 60-minute postpartum massage at the centre costs $100.

The brand, which turned in $2 million in revenue last year, is expected to hit about $3 million this year.

Confinement Herbal Bundle

Ms Lim has ambitious plans for growth, such as an academy running perinatal classes for mums starting in August or September, courses to upskill its staff, and “regional growth or expanding our products overseas”

Its products include confinement and lactation soup bundles designed for busy mothers, confinement teas and bath sachets, as well as TCM supplements for nursing mums. A 28-day confinement soup bundle costs $258.

“What’s great is that mothers who finish their perinatal period with Madam Partum continue with Chien Chi Tow, and even bring their family members,” says Ms Lim.